Poverty alleviation among persons with disabilities via United Nations' sustainable development goals in Ghana: Voices of stakeholders with disabilities
Corresponding Author
Maxwell P. Opoku
School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Correspondence
Maxwell P. Opoku, School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7248, Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJ-F
School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorKaren Swabey
School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorDarren Pullen
School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorTony Dowden
School of Teacher Education and Early Childhood, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Queensland, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Maxwell P. Opoku
School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Correspondence
Maxwell P. Opoku, School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7248, Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJ-F
School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorKaren Swabey
School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorDarren Pullen
School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorTony Dowden
School of Teacher Education and Early Childhood, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Queensland, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Consistently, it has been reported that persons with disabilities face multiple challenges in societies and thus it is important that deliberate intervention programs are initiated to empower them to overcome exclusion. The United Nations has taken the lead through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project, which is a framework for assisting countries and donors in their efforts to alleviate poverty. This article documented the experiences of persons with disabilities with respect to global efforts towards poverty reduction via SDGs. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 48 individuals with disabilities (hearing loss n = 11, visual impairment n = 15, and physical disability n = 22) who were drawn from four districts in the Northern Region of Ghana. Analysis of the interview data revealed common themes related to hardship, poverty, limited access to education, and underemployment. The results indicated that the SDG project engendered little tangible improvement in the lives of persons with disabilities. The need for concerted efforts to address barriers faced by individuals with disabilities is discussed extensively.
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Citing Literature
January/February 2019
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